Omaha daily bee., 1887-11-27

the pillars Of the temple and crushed
his Phlistipe enemies, under its ruins,
these bat-blind patriots would break
down the safeguards Of the republic,
in their zeal to destroy it's enemies.
Several OF the most prominent jour-
finals of America have already sounded
the alarm and entered an earnest pro-
test against autocratic and lawless in
reference with free speech and free
press under pretext of repre- ssing
anarchy. The Philadelphia Record
whose owner, Mr.. Singerly is "A five
millionaire makes the following appeal
or free speech:
The right of freedom Of speech is too pre-
cious to be violated even in the contemplate
person Of Johann Most Vastly more harm can
be done by making such creatures as Most
martyrs to the cause of free speech and
free thought than by giving them unlimited
privilege to babble. Whenever a man is
denied the right of uttering sentiments that
do not meet the approval of the
majority freedom of speech is destroyed.
One pretext for abridgng this in
estimablc right of free citizens might be fol
lowed by another, until at last policemcn's
Ii'thSt NOulu Dt Itlulltu DcIOlc Il man toulu
utter an opinion different from that enter
tanned by the public authorities Strong and
self-rcliant communities do not hasten to ar
rest people upon mere report that they have
used seditious and dangerous language
Such is the policy of jealous despotisms
which have reason to dread criticism.
When open discussion is not tolerated, Sc
cret conspiracy, which is infinitely more
"a G | tn
est interest of society that it should know not
only what is said of it by its worst enemies
but who those enemies are, who are their
leaders, and where they congregate. Russia
keeps down all discussion on the part of the
enemies of its despotic government with
heavy hand and Russia is honeycombed with
conspiracies that threaten to break out at any
moment in irrepressible flame of revolution.
The. Pittsburg Lcader, by all odds the
most influential and conservative daily
OF that great manufacturing city, tcrsely
expresses itself on this question in the
following language:
That the American people abhor anarchy
has been made very plain within the last
year. With the peaceful weapon of the bal
lot i'll their hands to effect "a revolution when
ever the majority feel the necessity of
| change in the system of government, or feel
dissatisfied with its policy, they have no
| patience or sympathy with method, or its
| advocates, who preach blood and murder and
| dynamite to right their wrongs The cti-
| zens of this country are in the main intclli
| gent enough to know that anarchy would be
| an evil of such infinite magnitude as things
J are, that they can best afford to bear the ills
| they have rather than fly to others they know
not of.
| In tacitly approving of the measures taken to
| silence the anarchists, they should see to it
| that the law of equal freedom is not trans
| grcssed. In opposing the advocates of an
archy, in suppressing their meetings and i'm
| prisoning their writer's there is danger that
| the line may be crossed. If the mayors and
| the police force are to have the power to
| Judge of how far men may go in the way of
| agitation by speakers and press, we may soon
| see introduced the cars method of suppress
| ing socialism and nihilism. The sacred
| treasures of free speech and a free press
should be most jealousy and carefully
| guarded. and only be restricted by the law of
| equal rights. The law properly takes hold
| of those who wickedly SANDER to their injury,
| or who incite others to crime, but it is not a
statutory otfcnsc for men to hire hall and
talk balderdash if they desire to, or TO advo-
| cate new ideas, however ridiculous they may
| be. Freedom of speech is one of the sacred
| rights of free people and should not be
encroached upon, even to punish or suppress
| anarchists.